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A castrated bull can be safely introduced to heifers once he has fully healed from the castration procedure, which typically takes a few weeks. It is important to monitor the behavior of the bull and heifers to ensure they are getting along and there are no signs of aggression.
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What age should you start putting your bulls with your heifers?
Bulls can be introduced to heifers for breeding between 12-15 months of age, once they have reached sexual maturity. It is important to consider the size and condition of both the bulls and heifers, as well as ensuring that the heifers are at the appropriate age and weight for successful breeding. Consulting with a veterinarian or experienced cattle producer can help determine the best time to introduce bulls to heifers.
What is a heifer bull?
Heifers have smaller pelvic areas than mature cows do, so they need to be bred to a bull that has, genetically, low birth weights. Heifers are also best bred to yearling bulls(primarily 12 to 18 months of age), which are smaller than the bigger mature bulls and won't increase the chances of crippling the heifers when trying to mount them. Young and/or small bulls tend to have the genetics for siring smaller calves, and heifers have the body size that tend to develop small calves, however, in either case this does not always occur: Yearling bulls are primarily unproven bulls; small bulls may sire large calves; Breed of the yearling bull plays a part in low birthweight genetics; condition, feed and environment play a role in lowbirthweight rates in heifers and cows. Young bulls are not the best because 99% of the time they are unproven sires. In other words, they are virgin bulls, or have never mated with a cow or heifer and produced offspring. They are selected by the rancher because they are expected to produce low birthweight calves out of the heifers, only because the Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) combined and calculated from the sire and dam, and compared with other bulls of the same breed and raised in the same conditions, says so. Smaller bulls also need to have the EPD numbers to be able to be used on heifers. If there are no papers that come with a small bull that you buy, you are making a big gamble on him. Even EPDs on yearlings are not reliable, especially if you have a 60% chance that that bull will sire large calves instead of small ones. Thus young unproven bulls may have high birth weights that should not be used on heifers; the same goes with smaller bulls. Breed also has a large affect on how the heifers calve out, and what size of calves the bull will sire. For instance, a yearling Simmental bull is put in with about 20 Red Angus heifers. Low birth weight EPDs for the Simmental breed is different from the low birthweight genetics of the Red Angus breed, so there's a higher chance that 10 or 15 of those Red Angus heifers will need assistance. Even using a Red Angus yearling bull that may have the numbers for low birth weights may not sire low birthweight calves in all of the heifers. But, primarily using a Continental bull that is of a breed that is notorious for large calves, like Simmental, Charolais, Maine Anjou and Belgian Blue, for instance, on your heifers, is asking for trouble. Small bulls like Dexters, White Park, Red Poll, etc. tend to sire small calves that are easy for your heifers to pop out. So heifer bulls are chosen through careful selection of genetics, size and breed, with the type of heifers in mind, in order to have a successful, worry-free calving season. If you know what to look for, you will have some happy heifers on your hands.
Why are calves from first calved heifers smaller?
Heifers are still growing and maturing themselves, so a lot of resources being put into the calf's growth still need to be put into the heifer to keep her growing as well.
What age should bulls and heifers be bred for the first time?
Bulls can reach puberty by the time they are 8 months of age, but most are put in with the breeding herd by the time they are 12 months of age. Heifers reach puberty by the time they are 10 to 12 months of age, but most heifers are not bred until they are 15 months old. Of course the breed of the bulls and heifers depends on when they reach puberty and/or when they should be used for producing offspring.
Why should heifers be mated to small bulls?
It's a common conception that a small bull will sire small calves. However this isn't always true. A bull, regardless of its size, must be proven to have the genetics for light birth-weight calves. A young small bull may have the genes for this, but there's a chance, since they are unproven, that they may be ones that have the potential to sire large calves. For example, when you get an unproven (or virgin) bull with an EPD BW (birth-weight) value of, say, 1.0, but the accuracy percentage is around 40 to 50%, there's a 50 to 60% chance that he may sire large calves. The higher the accuracy percentage, the higher chance he may be a low birth weight bull. The EPD value and the accuracy percentage changes with every calf he sires. The other reason (and this is not just a conception, it's proven fact) is that smaller bulls are lighter and easier on heifers than larger, mature bulls are. A big bull riding on a small heifer will put most, if not all, of his weight on her hindquarters as he breeds her. This will affect the heifer down the road when she has to give birth, and may end up going down and not being able to get back up again due to a pinched nerve or an injured pelvis that may not have been noticed by the producer until calving time. However, a trained eye can notice of a big bull has caused some damage to a heifer by the way she walks. She may act like she's a bit sore in the hindquarters, for instance, such as having trouble getting up or walking. Smaller bulls are easier on heifers because they are not heavy, they won't cause such problems to heifers and may be easy on a producer's pocket book as far as vet bills and less chance of loosing heifers to injured or broken pelvises are concerned.
What age should you start putting your bulls with your heifers?
Bulls can be introduced to heifers for breeding between 12-15 months of age, once they have reached sexual maturity. It is important to consider the size and condition of both the bulls and heifers, as well as ensuring that the heifers are at the appropriate age and weight for successful breeding. Consulting with a veterinarian or experienced cattle producer can help determine the best time to introduce bulls to heifers.
What is a good weight to put angus heifers to the bull for breeding?
Your heifers weight should be 60% of the cow herd's. But, they should also be around 15 months of age, though a couple months plus or minus isn't going to hurt either.
What breed of bull would be good to cross with corriente heifers?
Angus, Red Angus, Texas Longhorn, Hereford, Shorthorn, Red Poll, Devon, Galloway, or any other British breed that will put more muscle and growth in the calves but keep them small for the heifers to calve out.
On average how old do dairy cattle have to be to breed?
A healthy bovine can reproduce at 4 months of age, but in this industry heifers are either put out with the bull or inseminated at about 18months old. At least that's what we do :o)
Is there any different methods used for heifers when they are put in calf?
No. Heifers are bred the same ways other cows are, with natural service via a bull, or artificial service via artificial insemination. Only difference with natural service is that the bull must be young or small to prevent any potential back or leg injuries. Big mature bulls are very heavy, and a big mature bull mounting a small growing heifer can cause a train-wreck waiting for a place to happen.
What is a heifer bull?
Heifers have smaller pelvic areas than mature cows do, so they need to be bred to a bull that has, genetically, low birth weights. Heifers are also best bred to yearling bulls(primarily 12 to 18 months of age), which are smaller than the bigger mature bulls and won't increase the chances of crippling the heifers when trying to mount them. Young and/or small bulls tend to have the genetics for siring smaller calves, and heifers have the body size that tend to develop small calves, however, in either case this does not always occur: Yearling bulls are primarily unproven bulls; small bulls may sire large calves; Breed of the yearling bull plays a part in low birthweight genetics; condition, feed and environment play a role in lowbirthweight rates in heifers and cows. Young bulls are not the best because 99% of the time they are unproven sires. In other words, they are virgin bulls, or have never mated with a cow or heifer and produced offspring. They are selected by the rancher because they are expected to produce low birthweight calves out of the heifers, only because the Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) combined and calculated from the sire and dam, and compared with other bulls of the same breed and raised in the same conditions, says so. Smaller bulls also need to have the EPD numbers to be able to be used on heifers. If there are no papers that come with a small bull that you buy, you are making a big gamble on him. Even EPDs on yearlings are not reliable, especially if you have a 60% chance that that bull will sire large calves instead of small ones. Thus young unproven bulls may have high birth weights that should not be used on heifers; the same goes with smaller bulls. Breed also has a large affect on how the heifers calve out, and what size of calves the bull will sire. For instance, a yearling Simmental bull is put in with about 20 Red Angus heifers. Low birth weight EPDs for the Simmental breed is different from the low birthweight genetics of the Red Angus breed, so there's a higher chance that 10 or 15 of those Red Angus heifers will need assistance. Even using a Red Angus yearling bull that may have the numbers for low birth weights may not sire low birthweight calves in all of the heifers. But, primarily using a Continental bull that is of a breed that is notorious for large calves, like Simmental, Charolais, Maine Anjou and Belgian Blue, for instance, on your heifers, is asking for trouble. Small bulls like Dexters, White Park, Red Poll, etc. tend to sire small calves that are easy for your heifers to pop out. So heifer bulls are chosen through careful selection of genetics, size and breed, with the type of heifers in mind, in order to have a successful, worry-free calving season. If you know what to look for, you will have some happy heifers on your hands.
Why are calves from first calved heifers smaller?
Heifers are still growing and maturing themselves, so a lot of resources being put into the calf's growth still need to be put into the heifer to keep her growing as well.
Are beef cattle all girls?
No. There are beef cows and beef bulls, as well as beef heifers and beef steers. Most beef cattle you see in the feedlots are males, but not intact males (which make them bulls). Steers fatten up and muscle better than heifers (immature female cattle who have not had a calf), and thus are most commonly found in beef operations. These beef steers come from beef cows who were bred to a beef bull, and raised on their milk until weaning time. All beef steers are born bull calves, so they had to be castrated when they were still quite young. After they were weaned, they were put on a backgrounding or stocker operation were they were grown in size and didn't put excess fat on because of their primarily-forage diet. Then they were sent to the feedlot on a finisher (grain) ration before slaughter a few months later. The reason there is such a large population of steers is because those males kept back for breeding purposes were better than those that were castrated. Besides, a farmer does not need to have one bull per cow like which is found in human marriage partnerships. If you have one bull per cow you will have LOTS of fighting and little breeding going on. One bull can breed 25 to 30 cows, and that's enough bull[s] to deal with. The other bull calves that are not needed nor are worthy for breeding purposes are steered and culled. The similar mentality is found in dairy farms. A dairy farmer doesn't need to have to take care of all these bulls when he can just have one or two or use artificial insemination to breed his cows. Dairy bulls are VERY DANGEROUS, btw, much more unpredictable and dangerous than beef bulls. Bulls don't make milk either, so they are castrated and sold to slaughter houses as veal or to other farms were they are grown for beef.
Can you put male alpacas with pregnant female alpacas?
Only if the males have been castrated.
What happens if you put bull in dairy farm in farmville?
If you put a bull in with the cows you are going to get a baby calf!!!
What does a bull on Farmville do?
ok put the bull in a dary barn and it may get a calf!
What age should bulls and heifers be bred for the first time?
Bulls can reach puberty by the time they are 8 months of age, but most are put in with the breeding herd by the time they are 12 months of age. Heifers reach puberty by the time they are 10 to 12 months of age, but most heifers are not bred until they are 15 months old. Of course the breed of the bulls and heifers depends on when they reach puberty and/or when they should be used for producing offspring.
